Professor Layton Shorties
by DoctorFritz
Summary: A collection of misadventures starring the world famous puzzle solving professor and friends.
1. Professor Layton and the Culinary Peril

The professor and Luke stared in absolute disgust at the pungent comestible which sat upon their dinner plates served by Flora. The only nicest description of her latest culinary masterpiece one could give it was that looked like it had been scraped from the bottom of a rubbish bin. That was as nice as you could get.

"Eat up!" beamed Flora "There's plenty more if you want seconds!"

She made her way back into the kitchen leaving her friends to their unfortunate predicament.

Luke was the first to speak up "Professor, please tell me you know a puzzle to help us get out of this?"

"A true gentleman never refuses a delicious meal made for him by a lady, Luke" replied Layton.

"Delicious?" cried Luke in astonishment.

"Er...not quite the word for this occasion" said Layton upon realising his mistake "but I cannot risk hurting Flora's feelings, so...bon appetite."

Both bravely picked up their forks, scooped up a small portion and slowly consumed it.

**One hour later**

Flora fed her two sick friends some medicine as they lay in their beds.

"You poor things, you must have caught some virus that's been going around."

Luke mumbled something that sounded like _"Or we could have eaten YOUR cooking!"_

Luckily Flora did not catch that. She fluffed up both Luke and Layton's pillows and tucked them in.

"Get plenty of rest and you'll be all better!"

Before she left the room, Flora delivered some parting words that struck sheer terror into both Layton and Luke.

"Tomorrow I'll make you both a big breakfast in bed!"

Luke quickly turned to one side and violently threw up all over the floor

"For heaven's sake, Luke!" groaned the professor "If one must regurgitate the entire contents of one's own stomach then one must execute the task more like a gentleman!"

Luke slowly looked back at him in utter confusion.


	2. Professor Layton and the Cruel Deception

"Flora! Luke and I are just off to do some shopping!" called Layton.

Just as they were about to leave, Flora threw herself at Layton and clung on to him tightly.

"Noooooooooo! Please don't leave me!" she wailed.

Layton tried to free himself, but her grip was too strong. Luke just sighed and shook his head. This happened every time.

"Really, Flora!" shouted Layton "A true lady never behaves in a manner like this!"

"But, Professor, I thought you only knew how a true gentleman should behave?" asked a very confused Luke.

"You're not helping!" snapped Layton.

Tears streamed down Flora's face as she looked up at her step-father "I don't want to be alone anymore!"

Layton calmed himself and smiled at her "There, there. We won't be long. It will take no more than an hour."

"AN HOUR?" shrieked Flora "THAT'S LIKE AN ETERNITY!"

As Flora continued her bawling, Layton quickly came up with another brilliant contrivance.

"I suppose we could temporarily delay our weekly patronage."

Flora's crying grinded to a sudden halt and in its place a huge squeal of delight emitted.

"Oh thank you, Professor! I'm so glad you decided to stay! Is there anything I can do for you?"

A devious smile crept across Layton's face.

"Yes as a matter of fact, why don't you go into the kitchen and make us all a nice cup of tea and some cucumber sandwiches?"

After Flora happily skipped into the kitchen, Layton quickly heads out the door.

"Hurry Luke, before she returns!"

"But I thought we were having tea and sandwiches?" asked Luke who is still very confused.

Layton grabs Luke by the arm and slams the door shut behind him.

An hour had passed and the two tricksters return home with four bags of groceries.

"Flora?" called Layton "I'm sorry we left you alone again, but we had to do it in order to procure some nourishment for the rest of the week. I hope you understand?"

No answer, just an eerie silence. Layton and Luke walked into the living room and found Flora lying on the sofa in a catatonic state. In her hand was a piece of paper which read _"So alone"_.

"Here's my answer!" said Luke before going into three different thinking poses and finally pointing at Flora shouting "Flora doesn't like being alone! Layton's apprentice strikes again!"

0 picarats earned.

"Luke, a true gentleman never states the obvious" said Layton firmly.

"Why not?" asked Luke.

Layton picked up the milk jug from the coffee table "Because he would have this poured over his head!"

"Oh."


	3. The Wearying Obligation

Outside Professor Layton's house, Flora was waiting anxiously for the professor to finish whatever it was he was doing and Luke was running around the street poking random objects.

"Professor, we've been waiting for half an hour! What's taking so long?" called Flora.

"FLORA!" shouted Luke from the other end of the street "I FOUND A HINT COIN!"

"PLEASE, PROFESSOR!" Flora wailed "I CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE OF LUKE'S STRANGE HABITS!"

Finally the professor emerged from the front door; however he was wearing a pair of sunglasses and a false beard.

"Professor, why are you wearing those?" asked Flora.

"Cor blimey, ducky!" replied Layton in a shameful Cockney accent "Apples an' pears an' all tha' malarkey! I ain't no proff, innit!"

Flora was left completely speechless. Layton continued his appalling imitation of an east end denizen.

"Me name's Bert Del Boy Caine an' oim a chimney sweep! My old man said follow the van!"

Flora struggled to find the right question to ask because Layton's phoney disguise rose so many. Before she could open her mouth, Layton interrupted.

"Psst! Flora, it's me!" he whispered in his normal voice "I'm wearing this elaborate disguise so no one would stop us and ask me to solve their tiresome puzzles."

"But why, Professor?" asked Flora "I thought you liked solving puzzles?"

"I do! However I have decided to temporarily evade puzzle solving so that I may focus on my archaeological career and make up for all the lost time I should have spent with you."

"WHAT ABOUT ME, PROFESSOR?" called Luke from further up the street.

"LUKE, A TRUE GENTLEMAN DOES NOT BELLOW IN PUBLIC!" Layton shouted back.

A man who was just walking past ran over to Layton with stars in his eyes.

"I recognise that voice from anywhere! You're Professor Layton!"

Layton quickly resumed his dreadful charade.

"Not me, Guv'ner! Oim jus' an 'umble frui' an' veg seller from across the frog an' toad! RICKAAAAAAAY!"

The man was not convinced.

"No you're not! There's only one bloke in the whole world who wears a nice silk hat like that and that's the world's cleverest brain box: Professor Hershel Layton!"

"CONFOUND MY MOST PRIZED POSSESSION!" yelled Layton ripping off his disguise.

"I've got this really hard puzzle that been stuck on for weeks…" the man started before Layton quickly interrupted him.

"Not today! I'm spending time with my step-daughter."

"AREN'T YOU FORGETTING SOMEONE ELSE?" Luke called from behind an alley.

"NO, I DON'T BELIEVE SO!" Layton responded.

"Oh, please help!" begged the man "I'm really stuck on this!"

The professor shook his head

"I am truly sorry…"

"No you're not, you're Professor Layton!" laughed Luke as he appeared from behind a bush not far from them.

Layton groaned and began rubbing his temples.

"Luke, I implore that you kindly refrain from your ill attempts at comedy."

The man dropped to his knees and began to cry.

"PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSEEEE! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME TO SUFFER LIKE THIS! "

This was getting ridiculous. Layton took Flora by the hand and walked the other way with Luke following behind. The man looked up with tears streaming down his face and ran after them.

"SO THAT'S IT THEN? YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE?!"

"Just ignore him" Layton told the children "He'll soon go away."

"I THOUGHT A TRUE GENTLEMAN LEAVES NO PUZZLE UNSOLVED?!"

The three friends stop dead in their tracks. There was no walking away from the obligation of a true gentleman. The world renowned puzzle solver wearyingly turned to free this troubled soul from the clutches of his gruelling conundrum.

"You have my undivided attention"

The man's face lit up.

"Hokey cokey! Here goes…'Billy buys one apple and Sally buys one too. How apples are there?'"

Layton could not believe what he just heard. This so-called difficult puzzle was nothing more than a basic infant school maths question. He resisted the urge to strangle this idiot for spoiling his and Flora's day out with Luke tagging along. A true gentleman must solve all puzzles with the utmost composure no matter how inane they are.

"That should do it" grumbled Layton as he strikes his three poses and points with little enthusiasm "There are two apples. Another puzzle solved."

1 measly picarat earned.

"Cheers for that!" beamed the man "I was having tough time trying to get my head around that one!"

"HOW?!" yelled Layton "ANYONE COULD HAVE SOLVED THAT!"

The man frowned.

"Look, mate, it may have been a cake walk for a genius like you, but for me it was like rocket science!"

And with that said, the man strolled away whistling. Layton hung his head in sorrow. His planned outing was ruined by the incompetence of one individual. Flora walked over to comfort him.

"Don't worry, Professor, we can try again some other time."

"Hey, Professor, look what I found!" called Luke.

Layton turned to find the foolish child standing on top of a lamp post.

"LUKE! COME DOWN FROM THERE BEFORE YOU…"

It was too late. He already landed face down on the concrete pavement. The professor sighed and shook his head.

"Luke, a true gentleman always falls gracefully."


End file.
